Turning empty residences into furnished homes in San Diego County since 2018, Humble Design has a 98% effectiveness rate for their clients breaking the cycle of homelessness
Humble Design, a U-Haul charity partner since 2016, is about to celebrate a milestone that is seven years in the making: its 500th home transformation to help a family leaving homelessness in San Diego County (Calif.).
The event, set for April 24, is a joyful testament to the power of community and compassion in the ongoing fight against the homeless epidemic.
From 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday in San Marcos, charity staff and volunteers will lovingly transform a once-empty space into a fully furnished, personalized home for Mercedes, a resilient woman referred to Humble Design through an Independent Living Systems and Kaiser Permanente partnership.
Mercedes’ journey included significant assistance from Interfaith Community Services, which supported her family at a local shelter and helped them secure housing earlier this year.
“This day is about so much more than furniture — it’s about dignity, healing, and a new chapter,” said Laura Lavoie, Executive Director of Humble Design San Diego. “Mercedes, like all of our Humble clients, has overcome immense challenges with strength and determination. We are honored to celebrate her story as our 500th.”
Since opening its doors in 2018, Humble Design San Diego has transformed the homes and lives of more than 1,200 people (including 700-plus children and 60 veterans) by turning their empty housing units into warm, inviting homes. With the support of more than 50 social service referral partners like Independent Living Systems and Interfaith, Humble Design helps clients take the critical last step from homelessness to enduring stability.
A 2024 UC San Diego Homelessness Hub study backs the nonprofit’s impact, finding that 98% of clients remain housed after receiving services from Humble Design — a housing retention rate more than 10x the San Diego County average.
UCSD’s findings, released in August 2024, were based on a 10-month study that included 169 surveys and 30 interviews with Humble Design San Diego clients. The study underscores that having a home in which people can invest, and not just housing, is a powerful social determinant of health and well-being.
Humble Design’s model is dependent upon community-donated furnishings, philanthropic funding, and volunteer power, creating a tangible way for the public to take part in helping their neighbors to escape homelessness.
Founded in 2009 in Michigan, Humble Design now operates offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and San Diego. U-Haul® has served as its national sponsor since 2016, offering the national infrastructure and financial support for Humble Design to assist more than 11,000 people and furnish more than 3,700 homes.
Do you have a business, church group, or team of friends interested in helping their neighbors and making a genuine difference in the community? Sign up for a day of service at https://www.humbledesign.org/day-of-service.
